


Small Comforts

by MissHyacinths



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Drabble, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29028015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissHyacinths/pseuds/MissHyacinths
Summary: Mathias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind both have their demons, sometimes they rely on the other to chase them away.
Relationships: Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

Flynn was in a lousy mood. 

Mathias knew his lover had his demons but normally he found the man was content to hide them behind alcohol and cheer, but apparently today the routine wasn’t enough to chase them away. Flynn was the light and life of any room- when he was in a foul place the whole city seemed dim- _cold_ . Worse of all he wore this almost guilty expression like he was doing wrong by someone for not being on top form all the time, Shaw hoped Flynn didn’t think it was _him_ he was doing wrong by. Light knows he adored the man’s easy smiles but he never wanted to be demanding of them. 

Shaw had spent his whole life reading people, understanding them- he’d learned most of Flynn’s signs and signals by the time they’d moved in together but in this instance, he wasn’t sure what do to about them. _Should_ he do anything about them? Should he just give the poor man space? He’d been alone for too long, the do’s and don’t’s of relationships seemed to be blurred words on a page he couldn’t quite read and sometimes his own ignorance on the matter drove him spare. 

He approached Flynn who was sat at his kitchen table, a bottle of dark rum in one hand, the other on his temple nursing a hangover from the day before, Shaw perched on the bench beside him, a hand running over his lover’s shoulder, 

“You doing okay?” he asked gently, it took Flynn’s eye’s a moment to move from the bottle in front of him to Mathias and even when they did they were lidded and unfocused. 

“Just tired, love” he sighed, he took the hand on his shoulder and pressed it to his cheek, the stubble there catching on the skin of Mathias’ knuckle, “think I might go down to the Pig and Whistle later, lovely as your home is I think I need to get hammered somewhere other than the kitchen”

“It’s _our_ home, Flynn” Mathias moves the hand on the man’s cheek to brush out a knot in his long hair that he must have missed when brushing it that morning- “did you want me to come with you?” 

Flynn frowned and tilted his head “Didn’t you say you had paperwork to catch up on?”

Shaw shrugged as casually as he could “It’ll be waiting for me when I get back.” 

There was a bemused huffed from Flynn and he opened his mouth to make a no-doubt witty remark before thinking better of it and instead squeezed his eyes together and pushing his thumb and finger against them “Sorry.” he murmured, “I know I’m a miserable bastard at the moment.” 

“You know I don’t mind,” Mathias assured softly, he was met with a disbelieving look, 

“Don’t you?”

“Of course not, can you imagine if you got upset with me every time I was a miserable bastard? I somehow don’t think we would have gotten this far”

That earned him a breathy chuckle that made Mathias’s heart flutter in a fashion he could only describe as juvenile, “Aye but you’re a handsome mopey sod so it’s charming when you do it,” his expression went sullen again “I know you prefer me happy, Mat”

“Not when you’re pretending” Shaw stated firmly, slotting his hand into Flynn’s “I don’t want you to think you have to pretend to be happy for me.” 

Flynn smiled at him, it was still muted and small but it reached his sea-blue eyes and Shaw couldn’t have asked for more, the Captain turned on the bench, tugged Shaw towards him slotting their thighs over each other and hugging him tightly, their cheeks pressed together as Flynn pressed soft kisses to his skin, “Let’s skip the bar” his voice barely above a whisper, “I don’t want to share you with other people,” 

Shaw hummed softly, “Sky’s clear tonight” he offered “I know a rooftop that’s particularly good for stargazing if you’d like” 

“I would” Flynn pulled back and pressed a chaste kiss to Mathias’ lip, “Thank you, love” 

Shaw sighed contently, placing his own feather-soft kiss to the Captains mouth, “For you, anything.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Mathias lost his temper quickly when he was tired. 

Flynn found it endearing, the way Shaw seemed to pout and frown when he was in desperate need of a snooze- until it got to a point where Shaw would start to spit venom in his general direction, then suddenly it was less endearing. 

Once that started, Shaw was getting dragged to bed at Eleven- no arguments. Of course, Shaw didn’t much like being told that apparently he wasn’t allowed to work till Four AM and wake up for Six, but Flynn liked to think that he was getting good at persuading the Spymaster to put his health above his work. 

That and Flynn knew Shaw didn’t like being grumpy with him any more than he did, so at Eleven he was coaxed into bed and they’d both lie there a little restlessly, sometimes talking or just holding each other until they eventually dozed off. Flynn was trying to limit his drinking habits at the moment which meant he only just slept better than Mathias did so when one night he awoke to the sound of a door opening and closing, he assumed a breeze must have rattled their bedroom door and he rolled over to go back to sleep. His hand reached out to search for Shaw’s heat so he could cuddle back against the man but instead, he found cold sheets. 

He shot up, eyes scanning the room a sharp panic gripping his chest- “Shaw?” he called into the dark room, “Mathias?”

When he received no reply he all but threw on the clothes he’d left on the floor and sprinted down the stairs, skipping a step at a time, “Mathias?!” he was again met with silence. Fear gripped him, tighter this time- he grabbed his greatcoat and tugged on his boots and made his way outside, he couldn’t see Shaw nor did he know where he might have gone but he couldn’t have gone far surely?

He wasn’t sure how long he spent scouring the city for his lover, he didn’t bother asking the few guards on night duty, he knew if Mathias had gone past them chances are they wouldn't have seen him. He wasn’t spymaster for nothing afterall. 

Eventually, he caught a glimpse of red hair sitting on the worn wall of the ledge that overlooked the docks. As he approached the crisp ocean air whipped his cheeks and caressed his long hair, it felt nice- it reminded him of home, “Give me a heart-attack why don’t you, mate.” Flynn tried to laugh but it came out more breathy than intended, “scared the life out of me.” 

He took off his greatcoat and lay it over Shaw’s shoulders, the older man took it gratefully and pulled it closer around him, “Sorry” he spoke quietly as Flynn perched down next to him, “I needed some air” 

The sailor frowned, “What happened? Are the nightmares getting worse again?” 

Shaw hummed non-committally, “I wouldn’t say they’re worse” he didn’t seem to want to continue but when Flynn stayed silent he reluctantly sighed, “I- I was back in the cage. I needed to go outside” 

Mathias had mentioned his time in Suramar only briefly to Flynn and the Pirate knew it still haunted him deeply, the empty tone and guarded expression might have been enough trick anyone else but Flynn knew better. 

“Did you want to talk about it?”

A humourless huff “Not really.”

Flynn hummed softly “Alright” he shuffled closer nudging Shaw gently. Sometimes Mathias reminded him of a snake, as such he didn’t push the man to say more; you didn’t try pet a cobra with its hood up without expecting to get spat at. “Very mysterious of you, Master Shaw” he kept his tone light but it must have held something because Shaw pulled his eyes from the ocean to look at him sadly, 

“Sorry,” he said for the second time that evening, Flynn snorted at him, 

“You know where I’m going to tell you to stick that apology, Spymaster” rest his head against Mathias’ shoulder and looked out over the docks and the few night-time workers milling about “Everyone has their secrets, some more dark and bloody than others. You don’t have to tell me but if you want to I’ll listen as long as you need me to” 

The wind was cold and Flynn was beginning to feel it’s chill, unable to suppress a shiver he felt Shaw huff before shifting so he could put half of Flynn’s greatcoat around the sailor’s shoulder, the action pressed them thigh to thigh as they both watched the ocean in silence, after a long pause Shaw spoke, “I don’t deserve you, Flynn” 

The Captain found the statement so offence he almost gave the Spymaster a shove before thinking better of it, “A bit of a stupid thing to say for a man so smart.” 

“I’m not joking-”

“Neither am I” he placed a hand over Shaw’s chest, without his usual armour on it was easy to feel his heart hammering through his light shirt, “You’re good for me, Mat. And I like to think I’m good for you too,”

“You are” Shaw promised, tilting his head to kiss Flynn’s stubbled chin, “you drive me spare but you make me happy” 

“It’s my honour and privilege to be able to pull your laces and not get stabbed” he smiled and moved his head to meet catch his lover’s lips with his own, “but next time you need a jog around the city, wake me up first, love. I'd prefer not to end up going grey over you disappearing in the middle of the night without a word” 

Shaw smiled at him, moving to detangle some of Flynn’s loose hair from his piercings before tucking it safely behind his ear, “You might look distinguished grey”

“Mat, we’re sat on a ledge- I  _ will _ push you”

The spymaster laughed softly before mellowing “I’m still getting used to having to account for someone in my personal life” the sharpness in his venom green eye softened in a way that made Flynn’s heart feel like mush, “thank you for being patient with me” 

“Not a bother, mate” Flynn beamed at him peppering wet kisses over his face until Shaw grunted indignantly and elbowed him playfully “you ready to head home?” he muttered as he finally relented his onslaught of kisses. 

Mathias turned his head, looking back out over the sea, “Five more minutes.” 

Flynn mimicked where his gaze was set, the sound of the waves a sweet and nostalgic comfort “Alright,” he agreed, curling a hand around his lover’s waist, “five more minutes.” 

  
  
  
  



End file.
